If a top-shelf bass fishing celebrity could join BassResource...

[Glenn]

On 10/22/2022 at 8:22 PM, El jefe said:

The first time a "pro" posts about some product he uses that isn't a sponsor and gets his post removed he would probably just say the hell with it.

Sounds like there's a serious misconception about how things work around here. I suggest you read the FAQ's for clarity.

 

Thanks!

[WRB]

Glenn, Update on the pros?

Tom

[Alex Ball]

  I want that dirt. The tricks they don't share usually. Serious technical advice. I've had WRB tell me things on here that felt like secrets. Crankin Chris, A Jay, Ranger Jockey too. That experience is so important. It's like having a pro on speed dial. That would be my want, the little secrets.

[Zcoker]

Many  pros or so called pros (especially the YouTube crowd) offer little to nothing in the context of how, what, when, and where. When I first got back into bass fishing, which was a matter of a few years ago, I was totally entertained by the sheer number of peddlers out there. I had to do a ton of sorting to find specific and correct information--like on this site here. The adage I eventually adapted was "come watch me fish" or "come watch me fish and sell something" And that's what a lot of the media amounted to … not all of it but a lot of it.  I was always wondering what the "catch" was. The information was at best vague and sometimes even misleading. In a sense, one had to figure it all out on their own. Granted, I am not suggesting that all pros spill the beans to the general public. Pros do have to keep on the blindside of things, so to speak, tricks of the trade to have an upper hand over other competitors, which is certainly understandable and is specifically the reason they cannot share the nuts and bolts of the how, what, when, and where. Probably the best top-shelf pro to have on here would be someone who isn't competing anymore. 

[Darth-Baiter]

I'd like to hear from a barely sponsored person that fishes professionally.  I can stomach that..

but some paid spokesperson for a big company?  nah..I am good.  even the youtube guys sponsored by say...Berkeley will hawk mostly Berkeley gear.

 

I like hearing mostly from people that fish the same waters I do.  I does me little good when some guy that fishes Table Rock tells me his favorite Berkeley Stunna colors that work for him 90% of the time.  hahah

[Chowderhead]

For me, learning the history of fishing is what I love with this site. I always enjoy hearing @WRB, @Catt, and many others explain what it was like to fish the early impoundments in California, Texas; being in the swamps of Louisiana and Florida; the tournament trail of the 70’s and 80’s; the origin stories of techniques, lures, equipment. This is what I find rewarding and always appreciate when this is shared on here. For some of the older “pros” that have been mentioned, I’m sure they could reminisce about these topics and not hurt secrets or business interests. 

[TOXIC]

Funny this resurfaces now.  Yamamoto has done 2 “live chats” with pros.  Brent Ehler and Brett Hite.  No limits on the questions and for the second chat Yamamoto gave $50 gift certificates to 5 participants.  I didn’t promote them on here due to the rules.  I must say they were not as well attended as I thought they would be and I attribute it to a few reasons.  Most pros have their own social media programs where you can get all of their opinions.  There are many internet interview talk shows.  And there’s fear that they will only talk sponsored products. It’s pretty expected you’re not going to get any secret tips or techniques but it’s a good chance to ask “your” questions.  For example, I asked Hite about using a California Roll as a dropshot bait since he is a Cali based angler and I use it all the time. He had to admit he doesn’t use it.  They both did talk about non sponsored baits a little as well.  

[Glenn]

Gotta say I'm taken aback by the extreme disdain over sponsor mentions, and by virtue of that, the pros.  Do you guys think these guys make a living off of tournament winnings alone?  Trust me, most of them would starve if that were the case, if not all of them.

 

Also, most of you have no idea the intense pressure coming from sponsors to push their products. They essentially threaten to fire you if you don't do more....and more....and more.   And even then, it's never enough.  They always make you feel you fell short and won't get renewed.  And they do it because sponsors know there's no way a pro could survive without sponsors.  Quite frankly, pro tournament circuits wouldn't exist without them too.

 

So for you guys that absolutely hate it when a pro mentions a sponsor, then what are they supposed to do to earn a living?  And how do pro circuits like MLF and B.A.S.S. stay in business without sponsors? Please, do tell. What's the secret to keeping the industry alive without mentioning sponsors?  What would you change, and why would that be a sound business proposition?

 

[WRB]

23 minutes ago, Glenn said:

Gotta say I'm taken aback by the extreme disdain over sponsor mentions, and by virtue of that, the pros.  Do you guys think these guys make a living off of tournament winnings alone?  Trust me, most of them would starve if that were the case, if not all of them.

 

Also, most of you have no idea the intense pressure coming from sponsors to push their products. They essentially threaten to fire you if you don't do more....and more....and more.   And even then, it's never enough.  They always make you feel you fell short and won't get renewed.  And they do it because sponsors know there's no way a pro could survive without sponsors.  Quite frankly, pro tournament circuits wouldn't exist without them too.

 

So for you guys that absolutely hate it when a pro mentions a sponsor, then what are they supposed to do to earn a living?  And how do pro circuits like MLF and B.A.S.S. stay in business without sponsors? Please, do tell. What's the secret to keeping the industry alive without mentioning sponsors?  What would you change, and why would that be a sound business proposition?

 

Agree?

[MN Fisher]

26 minutes ago, Glenn said:

So for you guys that absolutely hate it when a pro mentions a sponsor, then what are they supposed to do to earn a living? 

Exactly

 

Unless you're independently wealthy - multi-millionaire level - you aren't gonna have the spare cash to be a pro without someone sponsoring you.

 

Even KVD - the 'earningest' one out there - couldn't still be fishing pro after all this time without his sponsors.

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Glenn said:

Gotta say I'm taken aback by the extreme disdain over sponsor mentions, and by virtue of that, the pros

 

Been around this sport long enough to remember when B.A.S.S. didn't pay but first place. Everyone else went home broke. B.A.S.S. barely survived without sponsors.

 

To me it's like paid advertising on TV it's part of the game. 

 

Guess y'all don't like @Glenn sponsors?

 

Come on Boss you know you're knocking down millions!

[T-Billy]

12 minutes ago, Catt said:

To me it's like paid advertising on TV it's part of the game. 

^THIS^ It's a neccesary, if not enjoyable part of the deal. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I haven't heard anybody blast Glenn or the forum for sponsors, how else is a free to join forum going to keep the lights on.   

 

I think many members are just here to learn how to catch more, and bigger Bass for reasons other than cashing checks.   

 

Tournament Bass fishing, and the industry that supports it only makes up a portion of the Bass fishing universe, many Bass anglers could care less about competitive Bass fishing or needing sponsorships in order to do that aspect of Bass fishing.      

 

To this end, a Bass fishing "pro" doesn't have to be a tourney angler......a great guide is surely a Bass fishing pro, a guy like WRB is surely a Bass fishing pro, Josh Jones is surely a pro.   More than one way to be a Bass fishing pro, and not all of them depend on paid product endorsement/placement.   

Just my 2cents  

 

36 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Been around this sport long enough to remember when B.A.S.S. didn't pay but first place. Everyone else went home broke. B.A.S.S. barely survived without sponsors.

 

To me it's like paid advertising on TV it's part of the game. 

 

Guess y'all don't like @Glenn sponsors?

 

Come on Boss you know you're knocking down millions!

I'm pretty sure Bassresource.com is worth millions fwiw.

 

It's the biggest Bass forum on the search engines, and perhaps membership wise.    The biggest AR15 forum using those same metrics within recent years sold for millions when it turned over ownership.

 

While Facebook and new social media has killed 90% of tech forums, the ones that still exist are quite valuable, and still draw a ton of eyes and thus ability to generate revenue for sponsors.   

 

ETA:  I never heard or ordered from TW before I joined here, now I've spent a couple hundred with them over the months I've been a member.   It works for sure lol. 

[TOXIC]

2 hours ago, Glenn said:

Gotta say I'm taken aback by the extreme disdain over sponsor mentions, and by virtue of that, the pros.  Do you guys think these guys make a living off of tournament winnings alone?  Trust me, most of them would starve if that were the case, if not all of them.

 

Also, most of you have no idea the intense pressure coming from sponsors to push their products. They essentially threaten to fire you if you don't do more....and more....and more.   And even then, it's never enough.  They always make you feel you fell short and won't get renewed.  And they do it because sponsors know there's no way a pro could survive without sponsors.  Quite frankly, pro tournament circuits wouldn't exist without them too.

 

So for you guys that absolutely hate it when a pro mentions a sponsor, then what are they supposed to do to earn a living?  And how do pro circuits like MLF and B.A.S.S. stay in business without sponsors? Please, do tell. What's the secret to keeping the industry alive without mentioning sponsors?  What would you change, and why would that be a sound business proposition?

 

While I agree that sponsorships are absolutely necessary to survive in professional fishing, it’s that exact reason anglers don’t put a lot of trust in the products that the pros promote.  All it takes is a change of sponsors and the angler who at one time called ABC bait, line, lure, boat brand, etc., the best ever made, now is sponsored by XYZ and it’s the best.  I’m just saying keep it in perspective.  Just because KVD switched from Quantum to LEWS for example, isn’t a statement on Quantum or LEWS.  it’s what he’s paid to do.  

[NYWayfarer]

15 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

While I agree that sponsorships are absolutely necessary to survive in professional fishing, it’s that exact reason anglers don’t put a lot of trust in the products that the pros promote.  All it takes is a change of sponsors and the angler who at one time called ABC bait, line, lure, boat brand, etc., the best ever made, now is sponsored by XYZ and it’s the best.  I’m just saying keep it in perspective.  Just because KVD switched from Quantum to LEWS for example, isn’t a statement on Quantum or LEWS.  it’s what he’s paid to do.  

I know why the angler does what he does but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. YouTube anglers are the worst with this. Unlike pro’s on the circuit some of them change sponsors and will then trash the former company. 
 

I can respect someone like Dave Mercer. He looked genuinely crushed when he lost Shimano as a sponsor. He had nothing but good things to say about them even when the relationship ended. He was super happy to partner with Abu. 

 

The game has changed with the social media world. Influencers are the new way of advertising. I have had offers to represent products once I hit a certain number of followers on Instagram, including a rod company. I only partner with two companies as one doesn’t mind if I uses other products. The other because the product was so good and the price so reasonable I bought some more with my own money. I rejected one company because the product was sub-par and marked way up so they could give me a 50% discount code for my followers. Even with that discount the product was way overpriced.
 

 

[Luke Barnes]

So it sounds like not many people really care about the Pros and couldn't care less about them being here. If we want fishing knowledge we have members for that. Unbiased opinion and experience is what makes this place great and, just my opinion, having Pros wouldn't benefit or add to the experience here. 

[TOXIC]

14 minutes ago, Luke Barnes said:

So it sounds like not many people really care about the Pros and couldn't care less about them being here. If we want fishing knowledge we have members for that. Unbiased opinion and experience is what makes this place great and, just my opinion, having Pros wouldn't benefit or add to the experience here. 

It’s not that there would be no value, there’s always something to be learned from those who make their living fishing and are considered “professionals”.  You just have to know how to separate the information from the salesmanship. Patterning fish, dissecting bodies of water, technics, bait selection, etc., are all examples of specific knowledge the average angler could benefit from.  The fact that they are sponsored doesn’t take away from their knowledge base.  

[J Francho]

Arron Martens (RIP) gave back to the community in the form of sharing how he operates without really doing any hard sales pitch. While I didn't always share his preferences, his openness and creativeness, as well as his ability to explain why he did something is rare. I'd say that type of relationship to the forum would be well received. 

[Cgolf]

I am surprised that the brand push bothers people. I always watched shows and you tube videos and figure out how to apply the knowledge they are giving me while pushing brand X spinnerbait or crank, and then I will apply that knowledge with brands a, b,  and c of similar baits I own.

 

2 examples are KVD and SK baits and the Linders and Rapala lures. Just because KVD uses SK spins, my opinion is very low of those baits, doesn't mean I don't listen to the tips and tricks he has for them. 

 

For that matter even random folks posting you tube videos are going to only use baits they are comfortable with in their videos. Do folks skip past those because they don't use that specific bait they are showing in the video? 

 

Maybe growing up watching auto racing has me numb to this where the first 10-30 seconds of the interview is sponsor blah, blah, blah, and finally that jerk walled me lol.

[Big Hands]

nvm

[Luke Barnes]

2 hours ago, TOXIC said:

It’s not that there would be no value, there’s always something to be learned from those who make their living fishing and are considered “professionals”.  You just have to know how to separate the information from the salesmanship. Patterning fish, dissecting bodies of water, technics, bait selection, etc., are all examples of specific knowledge the average angler could benefit from.  The fact that they are sponsored doesn’t take away from their knowledge base.  

To elaborate on what I was thinking, I feel I could get all of that knowledge and information from people already here and not have to weed through sponsor pushing to get the information. Do I think they could tell me anything that you or some of the other long time, super experienced people here couldn't tell me? No. 

[Zcoker]

I really don't think anyone is showing extreme disdain for pros, their sponsors, or their mentions. Or at least I didn't catch that drift. I think a lot of what folks might be expressing is that they don't wanna be bothered weeding through all the rhetoric and having to decipher what may be real or what may be pitched. In fact, places like this site is a way to get away from all that kinda stuff. Sure, in the context of what they are, that is, fishing professionally, pros all have to work very hard to stay on the good side of their sponsors. That's just the way it is nowadays. Regardless, disdain for them or their sponsors may be a bit harsh, in my opinion. That word implies contempt and unworthiness of which I have neither. 

[TnRiver46]

This forum doesn’t exist without sponsors? So without that, there is nowhere to share your info 

[fishhugger]

personally, i like the old guys... a video i saw with dee thomas, who recently passed, was cool. it's interesting to see how the sport got started.  videos i've seen with the guy who invented the ned rig - he's from the midwest, that was cool. they put in the time, have seen a lot, and don't have to push any ads or anything. 

also, i'm in my mid sixties... i guess i prefer guys older than me, or my age, lol.

[Gera]

22 hours ago, Glenn said:

Gotta say I'm taken aback by the extreme disdain over sponsor mentions, and by virtue of that, the pros.  Do you guys think these guys make a living off of tournament winnings alone?  Trust me, most of them would starve if that were the case, if not all of them.

 

Also, most of you have no idea the intense pressure coming from sponsors to push their products. They essentially threaten to fire you if you don't do more....and more....and more.   And even then, it's never enough.  They always make you feel you fell short and won't get renewed.  And they do it because sponsors know there's no way a pro could survive without sponsors.  Quite frankly, pro tournament circuits wouldn't exist without them too.

 

So for you guys that absolutely hate it when a pro mentions a sponsor, then what are they supposed to do to earn a living?  And how do pro circuits like MLF and B.A.S.S. stay in business without sponsors? Please, do tell. What's the secret to keeping the industry alive without mentioning sponsors?  What would you change, and why would that be a sound business proposition?

 

I think that most people understand that sponsorships are necessary for this and any other sports. For sure they are under a lot of pressure to push the products they represent as part of their job. 

I just don't think they represent me or many of the other guys on this site, we don't have unlimited funds or time for fishing, here we meet bank anglers, kayakers, boaters and that mix is what brings value (at lest for me) to bassresource

I like answers from the guys here that spend their own money on their gear, if someone is getting free Lew's reels they will be for sure bias. there is nothing wrong with that but I'm not interested. If KVD tells me he wouldn't change his Lews reels for shimano Antres I would be press really hard to believe him. 

Note, 

I only know who KVD is because his named on this site.